State v. Elkins

2011 Ohio 3611
CourtOhio Court of Appeals
DecidedJuly 21, 2011
Docket2010-CA-104
StatusPublished
Cited by2 cases

This text of 2011 Ohio 3611 (State v. Elkins) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio Court of Appeals primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
State v. Elkins, 2011 Ohio 3611 (Ohio Ct. App. 2011).

Opinion

[Cite as State v. Elkins, 2011-Ohio-3611.]

COURT OF APPEALS LICKING COUNTY, OHIO FIFTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

JUDGES: STATE OF OHIO : Hon. W. Scott Gwin, P.J. : Hon. John W. Wise, J. Plaintiff-Appellee : Hon. Julie A. Edwards, J. : -vs- : : Case No. 2010-CA-104 TIMOTHY ELKINS : : Defendant-Appellant : OPINION

CHARACTER OF PROCEEDING: Criminal appeal from the Licking County Court of Common Pleas, Case No. 2010- CR-00093

JUDGMENT: Affirmed

DATE OF JUDGMENT ENTRY: July 21, 2011

APPEARANCES:

For Plaintiff-Appellee For Defendant-Appellant

KENNETH OSWALT ERIC W. BREHM Licking County Prosecutor BREHM & ASSOCIATES 20 S. 2nd St., 4th Fl. 604 E. Rich St., Ste. 2100 Newark, OH 43055 Colummbus, OH 43215 [Cite as State v. Elkins, 2011-Ohio-3611.]

Gwin, P.J.

{¶1} Defendant-appellant Timothy Elkins appeals his convictions and

sentences from the Licking County Court of Common Pleas for one count of Rape of a

minor less than ten years old, a felony of the first degree in violation of R.C.

2907.02(A)(1)(b) and two counts of Gross Sexual Imposition felonies of the third degree

in violation of R.C. 2907.05(A)(4). Plaintiff-appellee is the State of Ohio.

STATEMENT OF THE FACTS AND CASE

{¶2} On February 26, 2010, a Licking County grand jury indicted appellant on

two (2) counts of rape and two (2) counts of gross sexual imposition (GSI).

{¶3} The first count was alleged to have occurred during C.E.B.’s kindergarten

year which spanned, roughly, from August 15, 2008 to August 15, 2009, and was

alleged to have taken place at the first of two apartments which her maternal

grandmother, Marjorie Elkins, lived in located at 106D Andover Road, Heath, Ohio.

C.E.B. testified that on one occasion while she had been sleeping, her "Uncle Timmy"

(appellant) had licked her privates.1

{¶4} The second count was alleged to have occurred during the approximate

time frame of November 1, 2009 to January 20, 2010. By this time C.E.B.'s grandmother

had moved to a trailer in Buckeye Lake, Ohio, and appellant had moved to the State of

Indiana. However, during the period of time appellant returned to his mother's trailer in

Buckeye Lake on at least two occasions: once near Christmas; and then again for

several days near his mother's birthday weekend, January 14-20, 2010, which was also

Martin Luther King Day weekend. As with the earlier episode, C.E.B. alleged that

appellant licked her "in the wrong place", which she identified as her vagina. 1 The jury was unable to agree on a verdict on this Count of the Indictment. Licking County, Case No. 2010-CA-104 3

{¶5} Counts Three and Four of the indictment allege acts of Gross Sexual

Imposition for acts committed against appellant's de facto step-niece, B.S. These two

counts involve a single temporal event where appellant was alleged to have touched

B.S. on her breast (Count Three), and in her genital region (Count Four). This event is

alleged to have occurred during March 1, 2008 to November 1, 2008.

{¶6} Prior to trial appellant filed a motion pursuant Evid.R. 601 requesting that

the trial court conduct a voir dire examination of C.E.B. to determine her competency to

testify.2 The court conducted the examination and permitted counsel to participate in the

questioning of C.E.B. At the conclusion of that evaluation, the trial court found that she

was competent to testify and she did testify before the jury during appellant's trial.

{¶7} The State called seven witnesses during appellant's three-day trial.

Appellant chose not to take the stand in his own defense; however, the defense did call

his mother, Marjorie Elkins to testify on his behalf.

{¶8} When the trial concluded on August 26, 2010, the jury found appellant

guilty of Rape as set forth in Count 2 of the Indictment and two counts of Gross Sexual

Imposition as set forth in Counts Three and Four. The jury could not agree on a verdict

on Rape as set forth in Count One of the Indictment.

{¶9} The trial court sentenced appellant to fifteen (15) years to life on the rape,

and five (5) years on each of the GSI counts; the five year terms were to run

concurrently with each other, but consecutive to the rape sentence, for an aggregate

sentence of twenty (20) years to life in prison. The trial court also imposed five years

of mandatory post-release control, and classified appellant as a Tier III sex offender.

2 C.E.B. was born April 13, 2003. (Comp. May 6, 2010 at 11; 15). Licking County, Case No. 2010-CA-104 4

{¶10} Appellant has timely appealed, raising the following two assignments of

error:

{¶11} “I. THE TRIAL COURT DID ERR BY FINDING C.E.B. COMPETENT TO

TESTIFY.

{¶12} “II. THE TRIAL COURT DID ERR WHEN IT ENTERED JUDGMENT

AGAINST THE DEFENDANT WHEN THE EVIDENCE WAS INSUFFICIENT TO

SUSTAIN A CONVICTION AND WAS NOT SUPPORTED BY THE MANIFEST

WEIGHT OF THE EVIDENCE.”

I.

{¶13} In his first assignment of error, appellant contends that the trial court

committed plain error in finding C.E.B. competent to testify at trial. Specifically

appellant’s argument centers upon three contentions, to wit: that during administration

of the oath at the competency hearing, C.E.B. was unable to spell her last name or

provide her current address; during cross-examination by the defense, C.E.B. agreed

that she would say a bad thing about a person, if C.E.B.'s mother instructed her to say a

bad thing; and C.E.B. experienced difficulty articulating time measurement; she was

unaware how many seasons are in a year, and she was unable to name the days of the

week.

{¶14} Evidence Rule 601 states:

{¶15} “Every person is competent to be a witness except:

{¶16} “(A) Those of unsound mind, and children under ten years of age, who

appear incapable of receiving just impressions of the facts and transactions respecting

which they are examined, or of relating them truly.” See, also R.C. 2317.01. Licking County, Case No. 2010-CA-104 5

{¶17} The Ohio Supreme Court has set forth the following factors for a

competency determination pursuant to Evid. R. 601(A):

{¶18} “In determining whether a child under ten is competent to testify, the trial

court must take into consideration (1) the child’s ability to receive accurate impressions

of fact or to observe acts about which he or she will testify, (2) the child’s ability to

recollect those impressions or observations, (3) the child’s ability to communicate what

was observed, (4) the child’s understanding of truth and falsity and (5) the child’s

appreciation of his or her responsibility to be truthful.” State v. Frazier (1991), 61 Ohio

St. 3d 247, 251. The trial court must find, then, that the child witness: (1). has the ability

to recall the alleged acts of abuse; (2). has the ability to communicate those facts; and

(3). understands his responsibility to be truthful.

{¶19} A court conducting a voir dire to determine competency is not chained to a

ritualistic formula to ask specific questions. However, it must satisfy itself of the

elements enumerated in Frazier. State v. Swartsell, Butler App. No. CA2002-06-151,

2003-Ohio-4450 at ¶ 13. As long as a witness understands the oath, or has the mental

capacity sufficient to receive just impressions of the facts and transactions relating to

what he or she is being questioned upon, then he or she is competent to testify at trial.

State v.

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2011 Ohio 3611, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/state-v-elkins-ohioctapp-2011.